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Corr Blackbeam
Race: Shapeshifter and Human
Class: Rogue and Alchemist
Personality:
Corr is:
- A loner
- Cynical and sardonic
- Watchful and wary, unless drunk
- Suspicious
- Good at passing unnoticed
- Sarcastic
- Increasingly independent/desirous of freedom
- Resentful of the wealthy
- Somewhere between Chaotic Good and Chaotic Neutral, probably
The man known as Corr Blackbeam was born to a shapeshifting courtesan, though he does not know this. Soon after his birth, his mother left him on the doorstep of a manor house in Fellsgard; the home of a rich, upstanding couple who, it was known by many in the area, had not been able to have children of their own. Sadly, they never set eyes on the baby. He was snatched by a passing gang of street children; young thieves with ragged clothes and dirty faces who took him to their hideaway to tease and play with him.
By some miracle, the children managed to keep Corr alive, thanks in large part to the older ne'er-do-wells that occasionally passed through their hiding place. And as the months passed, the children noticed something rather odd about him. There were ravens living in the rafters of the decrepit space they called home. Corr would spend hours staring at them, and every now and then would sprout a few black feathers or emit a screeching cry. Their little charge, it seemed, had shifter blood.
This made Corr suddenly very valuable. For what better way to sneak into a merchant’s home than by transforming into a raven, or a rat? It was not long before word reached the leader of a rogues' guild, who visited the hovel to inspect the shapeshifting waif. What happened next can be easily guessed at. The infant was given a name – ‘Corr’ after the bird sounds he often made, and ‘Blackbeam’ after the rafters he spent so long gazing up at – and was taken to the guild’s headquarters, to be raised communally and used as a scout. Taught to sneak and scurry and evade being seen, he grew into a capable rogue. But as he left his teens and progressed through his twenties, he found himself dissatisfied with general thievery.
It was not a strong moral streak that underpinned his discontent. He resented the wealthy as much as the next rogue on the street. No – it was simply boredom, and a sense that his training and abilities could be put to more interesting, and more lucrative, use. He began to take on spying jobs. Through whispered rumour, he attracted more and more influential clients, some among the governing class. He had soon carved out something of a niche for himself: the raven-shifter who could uncover a rival's juiciest secrets. For a price, of course.
The income from these contracts has allowed Corr to dabble in alchemy – a recent addition to his roguish repertoire. Explosives are a useful distraction in jobs that go awry. And a dab or two of sleeping potion can be invaluable in his line of work. But he is still an amateur in this area; it is his shapeshifting powers that give him the real edge – rarely do people suspect the bird perched nearby to be listening in on their conversation.
Recently, Corr has been spending less time at the guild headquarters and more time in taverns or roosting on rooftops. He has begun to resent the guild taking a cut of everything he earns. Striking out on his own is looking increasingly attractive, even perhaps leaving Fellsgard. But it won’t be easy to cut ties with the organisation that raised him, and which wields such power in the city’s underbelly…
Relationships:
Corr likely has a few friends, allies and enemies already around Fellsgard, with the potential to gain more.
There’s the guild, of course, which is the closest thing he has to family. He’d likely know many of its members well, having been raised by it. But I’m sure he has a rival or two among their number, too.
Having spent his entire thirty-three years in the city, there are probably others he’s familiar with: seedy tavern owners, gamblers, the proprietors of shops where he procures alchemical ingredients…
As for his line of work – spying for money – there’s plenty of opportunity there for contacts, as well as enemies. A number of his jobs have gone awry in the past, angering both target and client. It’s feasible that there are some out there who are after his blood.
On the romantic side, Corr is heterosexual. He's grown pretty used to spending time alone, but there's potential for a romance plot if the characters fit. I’d say he probably also has an ex-lover or two out there somewhere in Fellsgard.
So, to sum up…
Potential Ideas:
- Fellow rogues’ guild members, friend or foe
- Former thieving target or client, potentially aggrieved
- Former spying target or client, potentially aggrieved
- Anyone who wants some thieving or spying done XD
- A well-travelled character with fantabulous stories who might spark Corr’s interest in leaving Fellsgard…
- Other shapeshifters, who he perhaps meets/explores with in animal form (yay!)
- Ex-lover/ex-love
- Romantic interest going forward – bonus if it’s angsty, I do love angst!
- Something linked to Corr’s mother or father? This is probably my vaguest area, but if you have an idea, throw it my way!
In the meantime, he'll probably be hanging around Mac's tavern in Fellsgard.
